Electric heater



Mar. 27, 1923. 1,449,406 M. E. HOUSEHOLDER ELECTRIC HEATER Filed O01). 29, 1921 Miles E Hou/sea Zder;

Patented Mar. 2 7, 1923.

uNlTEnsTATl-:s PATENT OFFICE.

MILES E. HOUSEHOLDER, OF IITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE DURALECTRIC CORPORATION, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA ELECTRIC HEATER.

Application led October 29, 1921. Serial No.i 511,248.

To aZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MILES E. HOUSE- HOLDER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburgh, in the 5 county of Allegheny and State of Pennsyl` Vania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Heaters, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in electric heaters for heating water and other liquids.

An object of my invention is the construction of a heater in which the elements of the heating unit are not easily broken; in which the elements, if broken, may be readily replaced with very little expense; in which several of the, elements are duplicates, thus providing for economical repair; and in which the elements are all held .together by a single binding means.

A further object of my invention is the construction of a device in a manner' to prevent the feed wires from being injured by the intense heat developed in the heating unit, and in which the connections of the feed wires are outside of and removed from the heating unit.

A still further object is'the use of means to prevent any moisture which collects on theinner co per tube from reaching and injuriousl a ecting the electric contacts.

kA stil-l7 further object is the use of means to prevent the resistance wires from coming in contact with the copper tubing near which they are placed. f

As a means of increasing the efficiency of mydevice, I place a very thin metal tube between the resistance wires and the water, and I also provide anarrow water space between the metal tube and the outside casing. In this way the desirable objects of rapid and economical heating are accomplished.

A still further object is to prevent arcing of the resistance wires at the points of connection.

A form of my device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 heater;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

is a longitudinal section of my Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fi re 1;

igure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a' perspective of the junction box; and

Figure 6 is a detail view showing the lockmeans of the upper ends of the coils.

y heater comprises a casing 1, the upper end of which has screw-threaded therein a reducer 2 through which the heated water passes. Screw-threaded to the lower end of the casing is a T 3 having a water inlet 4. Within the casing is a metal tube 5 which may be brazed shut at the top by a copper disc 6. The lower end of the tube is open for the insertion of the heating elements, and brazed to the outside thereof is a screwt1hreaded bushing 7 for connection 'with the The heating unit consists of any desired number of resistance coils 8, sixebeing shown, all of which are secured to a porcelain top disc 9 in any suitable manner, as by screws 10. In order to prevent the arcing of the wires at the points of connection on the top of the disc, the ends of each pair of wires are locked between two brass washers 10a and 10", and a brass nut 10c; the latter being screw-threaded on the screw 10. A nut 10d below the disc 10 holds the screw 10 in place. By the use of the washer and the nut 10c the connections are firmly maintained even if the disc 9 should shrink materially. The coils are kept in position and prevented from coming in contact with the copper tube 5 by orcelain discs 11, two of which are shown; Ent it is understood that the heating unit may have as many of these discs as desired, depending, of course, on the length of the heater. Towards the bottom of' the tube and opposite the inlet 4 is al porcelain disc 12,

through which the ends of the coils extend and from which they are carried through a.

space in the tube 5 to an asbestos plate 13 at.

the bottom of the tube, through which they pass and on the bottom of which they are connected to feed wires 14 by any suitable means, es by contact screws 15. The discs 11 are separated from each other and from the end discs by porcelain tubes 16. Be-

tween the bushing 7 and the asbestos plate 13 is placed a metal drainage plate 17 having an upturned flange for the purpose of collecting any moisture which condenses and runs down the inside of the copper tube 5. All the parts of the heating unit are connected by a rod 18 having nuts 19 and 19a on the ends thereof.v The junction box 20 has an opening 21 for the feed wires, and may have a removable bottom 22 attached by screws 23 entering flanges on the bottom of the box. This box has ears 24 by which it is attached to the bushing 7 in any suitable wayas by screws 25. the box are-attached to the bottom of the asbestos plate 13 by screws 27. An asbestos pad 28 may be suitably placed in the junction box as an added protection for the feed wires against the heat which develops in the heating unit.

It will be apparent that all the parts kof the heating unit may be taken out and any of the parts replaced without shutting ofi' the Water. v

While my heater is adapted to be used as a hot water heater, it may be attached to a hot water radiator.

By the use of a thin inner tube to confine the heating unit, and by having a narrow Water space, the heating of water is rapidly and economically effected.

The heater may be wired to act on two, four, or six coils, in a manner well known in the electrical art.

It will be noted that I have provided a space between the coils and the contact ends of the coils and have placed an asbestos disc at the lower end of this space, thus remedying the defect of subjecting the ends of the' feed Wires to excessive heat.

It will Abe noted that lthe junction box holds the heating unit in place as a result of its attachment to the bushing around the copper tube and the attachment of the abbestosplate at the'bottom of the copper tube to the flange of the junction box.

It will be understood that the discs referred to herein as being made of porcelain may be made of other suitable material, and that the pads referred to herein as being made of asbestos may be made of other suitable material without departing from the spirit of my invention. Y

Having described my invention, what I claim 1s:

1. An electric water heater comprising a casing and a removable heating unit located in said casing, said unit comprising a tube, resistance coils in said tube, and means to prevent said coils coming in contact with each other and with said tube, said means comprising a plurality of discs.

2. An electric water heater comprising a casing and a removable heating unit located The flanges 26 ofin said casing, said unit comprising a tube, resistance coils in said tube, and means to prevent said coils coming in vContact with each other and with said tube. said means consisting of porcelain discs.

3. An electric water heater comprising a casing and a removable heating unit located in said casing, said unit comprising a tube, resistance coils in said tube, one end of each of said coils continuing a distance through the' tube before'being connected-to a feed Wire, and means to prevent said coils coming in contact with each other and with said tube, said means consisting of porcelain discs.`

4. In an electric water heater, a heating unit comprising resistancecoils and means to prevent the ends of said coils from coming in contact with condensed moisture, said means comprising a flanged plate forming a trough to receive and hold moisture.

5. In an electric Water heater, a heating unit comprising resistance coils, said coils being disconnected from each other in said unit, discs to space said coils apart, supports for said discs, and means to attach all parts together.

6.- In an electric water heater, a heating unit, a junction box located beneath7 said unit, feed Wires in said junction "box, and a heat resisting plate in said junction box to protect the feed wires from the heating unit.

7. An electric water heater comprising a casing, a tube in said casing, said tube lo- 'cated relatively near to the inside wall of said casing, said tube being of thin metal, and said tube being removablyjoined to the bottom of said casing, resistance coils in said tube, said coils being disconnected from each other, porcelain discs in said tube to separate said coils from each other andto space said-coils from said tube, a porcelain disc located near the top of said tube, said coils being connected to said top disc, an asbestos plate located at the bottom of said tube to close the bottom thereof, a. porcelain disc in said tube spaced above said asbestos plate, said plate and said disc forming a space in said tube for the ends of said coils to pass through, a junction box attached to said plate, feed wires in said junction box, contacts for the ends of said feed wires and the ends of said coil wires on the under side of said plate, and an asbestos-plate spaced below said contacts, said plate having openings therein for said Vfeed Wires.

S. In a device of the .kind described resistance coils and means to lock the ends of said coils, said means comprising a disc through which the ends of said coils extend, a locking screw connected to said disc and means on said screw to hold the ends of said coils, said means acting independently of the connection of the screw with the disc. said screw and a ,nut below said Washer 9. In a device of the kind described readapted to clamp the ends of the coils besistance coils and means t lock the ends of tween said washer and said nut. 10

'said coils, said means comprising a disc In testimony whereof I aix my signa- 5 through which the ends of said coils extend, ture.

a locking screw passing through said disc, a nut on the end of said screw, a washer on MILES E. HOUSEHOLDER. 

